By David Francis and Sabine Muscat
The United States is missing key allies in its fight against the Islamic State. Some 1,500 American troops are preparing to deploy to the Middle East to retrain Iraqi security forces to take the fight to the Islamic State next year. Turning Iraqis into a tribal fighting force of roughly 5,000 proficient enough to retake territory held by the Islamic State is one of the three cornerstones of President Barack Obama’s strategy. But there’s a problem: The Sunni tribes and Syrian rebels aren’t ready for their American trainers.
FP’s Gopal Ratnam: “Efforts to establish such a …read more